The Helmet
by peterparkersgirlfriend
Summary: "As he flew away, Toothless resolved to find that helmet no matter what, and thus make everything right. He would even use the new tail-fin to do it. And Hiccup...Hiccup could just wait and see." As promised, Gift of the Night Fury in Toothless's PoV. Sort-of-sequel to my other story, No Longer Alone, but prior reading is unnecessary. I don't own anything HTTYD. T to be safe!
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HTTYD, GIFT OF THE NIGHT FURY, THE SCENES, THE DIALOGUE, OR THE CONCEPTS. THEY ALL BELONG TO CRESSIDA COWELL AND DREAMWORKS. I OWN NOTHING**

**A/N: First thing's first! Welcome to my story! This is _Gift of the Night Fury_ from Toothless's (third-person) POV. I know it's been done, but this is a sort-of sequel to my other story _No Longer Alone. _That was Toothless's POV of the entire first movie. You totally don't need to read that to understand this story, but the format is very similar, and it would help you understand the way Toothless is characterized. In fact, I was requested to write this while I was writing my other story. **

**I'm still a bit new to fanfiction-this is my second one, actually. So still be kind! Also, the story will be broken up into short parts/chapters, which will be posted once a day until the story's completion. I hope you enjoy! **

* * *

Though he had lived among them for a while now, Toothless still failed to understand many important things about humans. He did not understand why they insisted on cooking their food, or why they remained in one location, all year, no matter how unbearably cold it became. There were other perplexities too-such as their apparent need to build large, artificial trees out of dead wood despite having _living_ trees all around them. Though as far as Toothless knew, they had only started that odd tradition recently.

However, he couldn't be sure of that-he had never stayed on Berk for a winter before.

But even with all those really strange activities, there was one thing about humans that vexed Toothless more than anything: their sleeping schedules.

Before Toothless had started living among the Vikings, he would sleep during the day, and fly from dusk until dawn. But the humans had it completely wrong. No, they slept through the night _and_ through most of the morning. That left only a tiny window of opportunity to do...well...everything!

Under different circumstances, Toothless wouldn't have allowed their absurd routines to affect him. But there were certain...conditions...in his life that prevented him from following his own rules. The biggest one? His inability to fly without a rider-a rider who just so happened to like sleeping until midday, when given the chance.

But Toothless was not going to let him get away with that...not in this weather, anyway.

It was bitterly cold as Toothless roared and pounded his paws against the roof of the Viking hut, trying to wake his sleepy rider. Every impact broke shingles and dislodged possibly crucial pieces of the edifice, but the dragon didn't care. He had beaten on this roof plenty of times before-it had become a sort of habit, actually. Stoick would fix whatever damaged he had caused, anyway.

Before meeting Hiccup, Toothless had never stayed in Berk for winter. He had always migrated somewhere warmer-somewhere that suited a fire-breathing, cold-blooded animal of his stature. Of course, Toothless never traveled to the nesting grounds with the other dragons. He had only journeyed there once, and upon seeing the apparent lack of Night Furies, he had promptly left.

But now, Toothless couldn't and wouldn't go _anywhere_ without Hiccup, which pretty much meant that he couldn't leave at all. His rider's life was firmly tethered to one place-Berk-as Vikings' lives often were. In Toothless's experience, they usually settled on a life-long home and stayed there. And Hiccup, despite being different from the rest of his people in many ways, had unfortunately adopted that tradition as well. He was thus very disinclined to leave Berk for more than a few days, let alone a whole season.

That unwillingness annoyed Toothless a lot, especially considering the catastrophic blizzards that constantly plagued the island this time of year. Such relentless storms could ground them for days on end, sometimes even weeks. And nothing-_nothing_-aggravated Toothless more than being unable to fly. Flight was his lifeblood-his greatest strength. He had already almost lost it once; He was not prepared to lose it again-for anything.

However, the clouds apparently disagreed with him, and they sent him enormous snowfalls that looked more akin to solid marble walls than frozen water droplets.

In truth, staying in Berk during the winter wasn't as bad as Toothless pretended, but he supposed if he was sacrificing at all, then his rider would have to make some sacrifices too.

And that meant that Hiccup would have to get up _now_, whether he wanted to or not, so that they could take advantage of the rare good weather. It was freezing, yes, but not a blizzard. And to Toothless, any climatic conditions short of _cataclysmic_ were perfect for flying.

The dragon roared again, pounding on the roof with increased force. Hiccup better come out now, or else he would go inside to get him. Toothless had left the (in his opinion, confining) comforts of Hiccup's room to scope out the weather earlier than morning, and he could go back inside just as easily. It wouldn't be the first time Toothless had actually dragged the boy out of bed.

But an extreme course of action soon proved unnecessary. A helmet-clad Hiccup finally stumbled out of the house, rubbing his eyes with exhaustion.

"Well...good morning, Mr. Bossy," he greeted sarcastically, looking up at his dragon with mild exasperation.

Toothless tried to give him a dragon's version of a derisive laugh to express his amusement at his rider's dissatisfaction, but it ended up sounding more like deep-throated warbling. That only made matters worse, because Hiccup began mocking him instead, imitating the poor attempt at a laugh with even more derision. From the boy's mouth, it sounded more like hyperactive barking. That wasn't how Toothless sounded!

But this sort of teasing was customary between the two friends, so neither of them took it seriously.

Hiccup proceeded to walk to the side of the house, which was where Toothless was carefully dismounting from the roof. There were patches of ice and snow between the shingles, and without strong vigilance, slipping and falling became a likely possibility-and Toothless _hated_ falling. His cautiousness paid off, though, and he made it to the ground safely.

"Do you always have to wake me up so early to go flyiiiiiing-!" Hiccup slipped on the icy ground, and his snide complaints soon transformed into a surprised yelp. But the dragon had noticed the ice before Hiccup had, and it was almost like he could anticipate the blunder.

Once again using his head as a crutch for his rider, Toothless managed to catch Hiccup and push him back onto his feet. The boy still held the dragon as he looked down resentfully at where his lower leg should have been. Instead, a tarnished, metal prosthetic was in its place, gleaming coldly in the gray winter light.

"Stupid leg," he mumbled, shaking the prosthetic with impatience-as if that would somehow improve his walking ability. But Toothless suspected that Hiccup would have slipped on that ice no matter what, real feet or not. In truth, the boy hadn't been very coordinated to begin with.

Hiccup let go of Toothless's head, standing unsteadily by himself for a few moments. The dragon was prepared to catch him again if necessary, inching his head forward to do so. But he was soon waved off when Hiccup said, "No thanks, buddy. I'm okay. We can go flying now."

He patted Toothless's head, and the dragon let out a happy sigh, already excited by the very mention of the word "flying". His breath was evidently unbearable by Viking standards, though, because Hiccup quickly retreated backwards, waving his hands wildly and crying out indignantly.

Toothless thought that reaction was ironic-humans _always_ smelled bad to him.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: I STILL OWN NOTHING**

**A/N: Sorry if that last chapter wasn't very satisfying. I write what I can given the time I have. They're all going to be pretty short. **

**Anyway, enjoy this one! **

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They were soon flying above the sea-stack peppered waters around Berk, performing their favorite tricks and stunts. One of which was their vertical climb.

The sheer height and direct sunlight filled their veins with adrenaline and joy. In their euphoria, they would tower above the island, the birds, and the clouds, reaching altitudes that no other dragons-or their riders-would dare test. The stunt could be very dangerous, though, especially if they somehow fell out of the sky, or dove in an equally vertical drop. In fact, it had both saved and endangered their lives in the past. But Toothless supposed that was what made it special. By practicing it so often, they had survived every outcome it had to offer, and had therefore mastered it.

It felt _so_ good to be flying again, even if the wind was much colder and punishing than usual. But the frigid gusts never seemed to affect the two friends. Something about the feeling of flight warmed their bodies-maybe it was their happiness, or maybe it was the pure adrenaline. They didn't care to wonder, because as long as they were well enough to fly, nothing mattered.

Soon enough, they both became bored with the climb. They were eager to try more perilous, less conquered tricks, so Toothless evened out his flight.

"C'mon!" Hiccup urged him. "Let's see what you've got today!"

Indeed, a vertical drop could be very perilous-but that peril did little to dissuade them as Toothless plummeted downwards, his fall parallel to a nearby cliffside.

Though he had once pointed out that he hated falling, Toothless did not consider this falling-falling, in the sense that he had meant, was an uncaught, unstoppable tumble from a high altitude that would surely result in injury. But this-this was just another exhilarating exploit. There was no way he could hate this sensation. Hiccup was certainly relishing it too, seeing as he howled with delight.

Before they could hit the glacial waters, the dragon unfolded his dark wings, roaring as they caught the air and slowed their fall. With a fatal drop successfully prevented, Hiccup gave a yell of celebration. Then, Toothless stabilized their flight again, now flying smoothly over the ocean toward an arched rock formation.

"Okay, you ready?" Hiccup asked, unlatching his prosthetic from the pedal.

Toothless realized what his rider was doing far too late, because if he had known sooner, he probably would have turned around. Hiccup had been determined to perfect their most dangerous trick yet. In it, Toothless would glide under the sea stack while Hiccup jumped over it. Then, if all went well, the dragon would catch his rider and continue flying.

But so far, all had yet to go "well".

The trick sounded simple, of course. In reality, however, it was quite the opposite. Toothless could not maneuver-only glide-without Hiccup operating the artificial tail-fin, and his rider didn't exactly have wings of his own. All past attempts had been near-death experiences: collisions into the rocks, plunges into icy water, etc. Toothless was far from eager to try again.

But Hiccup was perhaps (or more accurately, had become) more reckless than Toothless, though, and he was determined to master this particular stunt. So when the boy began standing on the dragon's back, Toothless could do nothing but moan his displeasure. His rider ignored that, encouraging him to remain steady-which was easier said than done. The wind was a persistent adversary, and the dragon was sure that if given the chance, it would happily knock the wobbly pair out of the sky.

Just as they reached the arch, Hiccup lunged off of Toothless, combining his own velocity with the dragon's to pass safely over the rocks. Meanwhile, Toothless stiffened his muscles, hoping to secure an equally harmless glide under the formation.

Before he knew it, the trick was over, and Hiccup had landed on his back-uninjured. The boy immediately reattached his prosthetic to the pedal, now able to operate the artificial tail-fin again.

They had made it!

Toothless exhaled with relief, glad that they had not experienced _another_ disaster. Concurrently, Hiccup was less relieved and more proud, yelling, "Yes! Finally!"

As he snorted at the antics of his foolhardy rider, Toothless began banking, and they now flew steadily toward Berk. He wasn't ready to land yet, but he figured that flying over the island was better than trying _that_ trick again.

Despite their recent success, he knew it was too risky. Too many factors could and _had_ gone wrong during their attempts. If they could triumph only once, that was fine with him. There were other, equally thrilling and overall safer tricks. He hated being separated from his rider during flight, even for a second-he felt weaker, more vulnerable when that happened. And there were reasons behind that-he was essentially disabled without Hiccup, so he wasn't very inclined to disunite with his rider, especially _while_ flying...when he needed him most.

Hiccup knew what Toothless was trying to do, though. He patted the dragon's side, asking pointedly, "What d'you say, bud? Wanna go again?"

Toothless gave a sort of amused growl-his rider knew that he didn't want to go again. But the figured that he could convince him anyway. He was wrong-it wasn't going to happen.

Then, the scent of hundreds of emigrating dragons greeted his nose. He had forgotten that today was migration day-they were heading to the nesting grounds, and Toothless had accidentally flown directly into their flock.

Hiccup cried out as Toothless was forced to weave through many galvanized dragons, trying to avoid their unsteady, instinct-driven, flying bodies.

Above him, Toothless heard a metallic clang and Hiccup exclaiming, "Oh no, my helmet!" Curious, the dragon shifted his attention away from the course ahead, briefly seeing the metal headpiece rapidly tumbling through the clouds.

Instantly sensing his rider's distress at the loss, Toothless dove downwards, hot on the helmet's trail. He wasn't prepared to let it hit the water, where it would surely sink to the bottom of the ocean and be lost forever. That was not an option.

Hiccup yelled at the sudden earthbound pitch, his voice urging for the dragon to return to their route.

"Wait, Toothless! Stop!" the boy screamed, and Toothless felt him pulling upwards on his head, trying to stop the nosedive.

But Toothless knew that Hiccup wouldn't want to lose that helmet-that much was evident. The two friends were usually in sync, sensing what the other was feeling. There was guilt and sadness rolling off of Hiccup, unhappy with the helmet's disappearance, but those emotions were easily overwhelmed with worry and confusion. He supposed that his rider did not understand why the other dragons were leaving, and would probably want to find out.

There was no way for Toothless to explain the necessity of the migration-no way for him to calm his rider's worries. Hiccup always worried about things he could not understand-he did not necessarily fear the unknown, though, otherwise he would have never befriended Toothless. But the child was almost desperately curious about _everything_. It wasn't in his nature to just expect the dragons to reappear soon, as they definitely would.

To please his anguished rider, Toothless reluctantly extended his wings, abruptly stopping the dive. The wings began flapping, thus allowing him to hover over the water. While they lingered there, Toothless still searched the waves, hoping to catch a glance of the helmet. But Hiccup was determined to return to Berk-right now.

"We'll get it later, bud," Hiccup assured the dragon and himself, glancing up at the horde of departing dragons. "We need to get back and find out what's going on."

With a roar reminiscent of a petulant "_Fine_!", Toothless looked away from the sea, flying toward the island. He didn't really see the point in returning, though. Berk would not yield any answers for the boy...only a dragon-deserted island.


	3. Chapter 3

**DISCLAIMER: I STILL OWN NOTHING**

**A/N: Here, I combined what was two, very short parts into one, still pretty short chapter. I hope you guys don't mind.**

**How's my writing so far, by the way? Critiques on the language and grammar are appreciated! **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

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As soon as they had landed, Hiccup promptly jumped off of Toothless's back.

"Astrid!" he called as he ran toward the village center, which was where the panic-stricken Viking girl stood. The dragon knew that his rider didn't run very often, especially with his leg injury. If he had chosen to do so, then something must have been seriously wrong. The migration couldn't be bothering these Vikings that much...could it?

"Hiccup, what's going on?" Astrid demanded, gesturing to the horde of airborne dragons. "Where are they going?"

As the Vikings crowded around Hiccup, screaming frantic questions, Astrid's dragon-Stormfly-flew overhead.

Stormfly was a Deadly Nadder, and one of Toothless's favorite dragon companions. Perhaps it was her intelligence that made her more agreeable, or maybe it was her relationship with Astrid, whom was Toothless's second favorite human-after Hiccup, naturally. Toothless and Stormfly had thus become avid playmates, but there was always an imbalance to their fun. She could fly, and he could not-and that sometimes made their frolicking a little less enjoyable.

Postponing her departure for a moment, Stormfly turned toward Toothless, screeching at him from above. He understood what she wanted-she was urging him to join her at the nesting grounds. Her roars suggested that he was _supposed_ to go, because Toothless was a dragon, and dragons had obligations to their instincts. She also insisted that he was her friend, and that she did not want to leave without him.

However, the invitation was not in words, exactly, because dragons did not use such things. Through experience, they had learned the Viking language, but they never used it among themselves. Roars were simply animalistic expressions of desires or emotions. No two sounds were ever identical, even if they came from the same dragon. Despite this, they could communicate ideas very effectively-perhaps more effectively than words ever could. Words could have a thousand different hidden meanings, or they could be misused. But when a dragon roars at another, the message is always crystal clear.

And in this case, the message conveyed that he did not belong in Berk...not right now, anyway.

Toothless could not leave, of course-not without Hiccup, anyway. Besides, he didn't really _want_ to go to the nesting grounds. What could possibly be waiting there for him? Toothless's life-his family-was here, on Berk. And by family, he meant his rider, because he quite literally could not live without his other half. Hiccup meant everything to him.

And since his rider hadn't shown any interest in traveling to the nesting grounds, he knew he had stay on the island. And he was fine with that.

But something still nagged at the dragon…

Toothless reared up on his hind legs, roaring pleadingly at Stormfly. He tried to tell her about the helmet, using his emotions to indicate that something important had been lost, and needed to be found. He wanted her to search for it on her journey, but because helmets were such uniquely _human_ objects, he could not tell her what had gone missing, and before he knew it, she was flying away-probably for weeks.

He fell back to all fours, disappointed. Hopefully Hiccup would take him flying soon, and they could find the lost helmet. But he also knew that humans were forgetful creatures, and even if Hiccup forgot, he knew a part of his rider would still miss it.

* * *

Toothless stood on a cliff, looking out at the infinite, sparkling ocean. Night had long since fallen, and the water reflected the silvery moonlight. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there exactly-ever since the Vikings had gathered in the Great Hall, he guessed, which had been many hours ago. The frosty sea air was very cold as it blew against him, but Toothless didn't care. His mind was too distracted, and Hiccup was still locked away in that stupid hall. It wasn't like he had anything better to do but wait and watch.

He knew that the Vikings were distressed by their dragons' departure. He could even hear their disgruntled yells from this distance. In their anger, they claimed that something called "Snoggletog" was ruined, and Stoick, being the diplomatic chief that he was, assured them that it wasn't.

The dragon-the only one left on the island, in fact-gave a sort of snort, mystified by the human traditions. What was "Snoggletog?" Why was it so important to them? How did the dragons' disappearance have anything to do with it?

It annoyed him that the humans were so ignorant to dragon behaviors. Not all creatures braved horrible climatic conditions year round-especially when there were perfectly agreeable climates elsewhere. And he knew that humans didn't nest more than a few times in a lifetime, so he supposed that they also couldn't understand a yearly migration to a nesting ground.

But he had no right to be judgemental. After all, hadn't he been equally confused about humans that morning?

Hiccup's release from the Great Hall interrupted his thoughts. The dragon turned to see him walking out with his human friends, all looking very dejected. For some reason, Toothless could sense that Hiccup was displeased. But that made no sense. Hiccup still had his dragon-Toothless was still here!

Maybe...maybe it was the helmet. Why else would the boy be depressed?

Remembering where the headpiece had fallen, Toothless redirected his attention to the ocean, guilt flooding through his veins. If he had been more vigilant during their flight...or perhaps more careful...maybe the helmet wouldn't have been lost, and Hiccup would be happy.

Toothless did not understand a lot of things about the Haddock family, but he knew that the object had a particular significance to them. Whenever they would speak about it, he would hear them mention someone named "Mom" or "Mother". Then, Stoick and Hiccup would get very quiet and thoughtful-almost yearning. For some reason, the helmet reminded them of that "Mom" person, and since humans were so forgetful, Toothless worried that its absence would cause them to forget about him/her. He recognized that it was bad to forget someone you cared about. What if that person came back?

He needed to find the helmet-and soon. But how? Hiccup was so distracted by all the distraught Vikings…

Toothless inched closer to the edge of the cliff, wishing for once that he could fly without a rider. That way, Hiccup could stay to help his people, and Toothless could leave to help his rider.

But he knew that was impossible. After all, the tail injury was permanent.

He sighed a little, knowing that the helmet was hiding in the ocean's icy depths, moving with the currents. In a few days, it would be nowhere to be found.


	4. Chapter 4

**DISCLAIMER: I STILL OWN NOTHING**

**A/N: This part was interesting to write. I was thinking about why Toothless looked so horrified about that new tail, and since Toothless is pretty intelligent and obviously loves Hiccup, I thought I'd put a nice spin on Toothless's internal thoughts. **

**No slash, though. Just thought I'd throw that out there.**

**Please enjoy!**

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Toothless never returned to the hut that night. Instead, he had accidentally fallen asleep on that cliff, and was eventually woken by the cold, grayish light reflecting off the waves. He wasn't ready to return to Hiccup yet, though. Figuring that sleep and distance would improve the boy's disposition, Toothless left his rider unbothered for a while.

But when midday came around, all bets were off. It was time to go flying, and he hoped Hiccup would be more willing by now. To Toothless, the weather was still nice enough, and he managed to ignore the glum atmosphere that seemed to hang over the entire village.

Hopefully, he could remove that glum atmosphere from Hiccup too. Toothless believed that if he found the helmet, his rider would be back to his usual, happy self. So that was what he decided to do today.

He bounded toward the Viking hut, which was where he assumed the boy was still asleep. The dragon soon began jumping excitedly on his rider's roof, exacerbating yesterday's damage even further. But once again, Toothless didn't care. It was time to fix all these pesky problems-his own restlessness being one of them. (However, unfortunately for Stoick, the roof's ruined state wasn't one of the problems he was referring to).

"Toothless!" he heard Hiccup call from below. "Come on down, bud!"

Wasting no time, Toothless scrambled off of the roof to stand in front of his rider.

Hiccup did not smell like he had been sleeping. No, he smelled like he had been in the forge all night...but why?

There was something in Hiccup's hands-something long, dark, and...foreign. He smelled it, and was instantly greeted by the smell of leather and iron, thus indicating that it was a tail-fin prosthetic. Though it look similar to others he had used, Toothless immediately decided that he did not like it. There was something sinister about the device...about all those strange gears and metal pieces.

Hiccup began walking toward Toothless's tail, prepared to attach the new contraption. Of course, the dragon wasn't exactly thrilled about that-he was rather fond of the red tail...the one that Gobber had built. And if their first tail-fin hadn't disintegrated, he would probably be even fonder of that one.

But it wasn't just the..._newness_ of this prosthetic that irked Toothless. It was something inexplicable, but disquieting all the same.

So Toothless twirled around, following his rider's movements, which kept his tail safely out of Hiccup's reach.

"Would you just...settle down?" Hiccup laughed, thinking the dragon was being playful. "Toothless! C'mon, bud. Lemme get this on you."

The dragon soon realized that he was being irrational, so he stood still enough for the boy to fasten the new tail-fin into place. Meanwhile, Toothless purred inquisitively, wondering why Hiccup would suddenly build him a new tail-fin. Was there something wrong with their old one?

"You're going to love this," his rider told him, securing the last piece of the new addition.

As soon as Hiccup was finished, Toothless shook his tail for a bit, trying to get a feel for the new flying apparatus. He was instantly filled with dislike-it was so heavy, and it pulled on his still-intact tail-fin. Overwhelmed with the need to remove it, Toothless began roaring and flailing around, trying to throw the awful thing off. Meanwhile, Hiccup protested, pleading with his dragon to behave.

Then, amidst the flailing of the tail, Toothless moved his intact fin-and to his utmost surprise, the new prosthetic responded too. Stunned, the dragon stared at the mechanism with wide eyes for a moment, his complaints completely forgotten. He then tentatively opened and closed both tail-fins, still trying to absorb what he was seeing.

But...but this wasn't possible. There was no way-no _real_ way, anyway-for both tail-fins to work automatically. But somehow...Hiccup had completely restored his solo flying abilities.

His mounting gratitude soon turned to ice, though, as he realized what the new tail probably meant:

Hiccup didn't want to fly with him anymore. He wanted Toothless to fly on his own.

The dragon stared at the boy, completely and utterly shocked that his rider-his friend, his family...the person he loved more than anyone else in the world-didn't want to spend time with him anymore. He wondered what he had done to warrant this sort of sudden rejection.

Hiccup was smiling at him, but it was a troubled smile, as if he worried about what Toothless might do. Despite everything, he knew Hiccup was still kind at heart, and that was why he had made the tail-fin. To make the separation easier-to ensure that Toothless would still be happy. But didn't he understand that Toothless loved flying _with_ Hiccup more than anything? That he could only be happy _with_ Hiccup? He thought his former rider had felt the same way…but now…

That was when Toothless figured it out. It was the helmet-Hiccup must be doing this because of that! He blamed Toothless for losing it, and was punishing him for it. The boy couldn't stand flying with the dragon-not after what Toothless had caused him to lose.

Toothless have briefly dreamed of flying on his own again, but that was just a silly fantasy-it wasn't something he had actually _wanted_, he now realized. And it also wouldn't have been as...permanent as this.

No, no, no! He had to make things right! And if that meant searching for that helmet until the ends of the earth, so be it. It was worth it if he could fly with Hiccup again.

Concerned by his dragon's horrified expression, the boy walked toward Toothless, his hands outstretched. But the dragon didn't want any insincere pity or comfort. He only wished for one thing: for Hiccup to want to fly with Toothless as much as Toothless wanted to fly with Hiccup.

And so he declined the comforting gesture, suddenly extending his wings and taking off into the cloudy sky. He could hear Hiccup calling him back, but he assumed the calls were also phony...to just make him _feel_ better. The dragon didn't want fake assurances that he still belonged-he was going to earn his place back by fixing his own mistakes.

As he flew away, Toothless resolved to find that helmet no matter what, and thus make everything right. He would even use the "new" tail-fin to do it. And Hiccup...Hiccup could just wait and see.


	5. Chapter 5

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**

**A/N: Mehhh...my writing's not that impressive in this chapter. Try to ignore that please. I hope you enjoy it anyway! **

* * *

In Toothless's mind, finding the helmet had seemed so simple, like he would somehow use magic to miraculously retrieve the helmet. But now that he was actually there...well, it was going to be easier imagined than done.

He flew frantically over the spot where the helmet had fallen, finally remembering that the headpiece was not going to be floating in the water, waiting for him. It was metal, so it had sunk to the ocean floor.

Under different circumstances, that wouldn't have been a big deal. Sure, he had some residual fears from his encounter with the Red Death, in which he had almost drowned. But then, he had been restrained, unable to swim-which was something Toothless could actually do quite well unconfined, as he was now. And in the face of losing Hiccup's trust, that fear seemed tiny.

No, what really bothered him was the water's sub-zero temperature. How was he supposed to dive into that? He would freeze to death, or suffocate before he reached the bottom.

But...it was either this or give up flying with Hiccup forever.

Finally coming to a decision, Toothless dove toward the icy depths, bracing himself for the cold. The frigidity made him feel like tiny knives were plunging into his skin, through his scales, killing him slowly. For a dragon that prefers the warmth, it was more than an unpleasant sensation-it was unbearable.

He continued swimming through the water, trying to think of pleasant things like flying in the summer or the fire inside the Haddock hut, which always seemed to be dying, no matter how much Stoick stoked it.

Luckily, the water wasn't that deep here. Below, there was a small sand bar, which brought the seafloor closer enough to the surface. He was able to swim along it unharmed by immense underwater pressure. As he did so, he saw no fish-they had probably all migrated south for the winter, he thought jealously. He wished he had migrated South-and he probably could if he really wanted to...but what was the point without Hiccup?

He scanned the sand bar, vigilant for the gleam of metal or two yak horns. Twice, he saw pieces of coral that made him jump, but it was merely a deception. Where was that stupid helmet?

At one point, he thought he saw a shadow pass over him, and he could have sworn that something was watching. But upon turning around, he saw nothing in the water beside him, so he assumed it was his own imagination. What could possibly survive in these freezing waters, anyway?

Obviously _he_ couldn't, because eventually, the water's iciness became too much for him, and he was forced to surface.

Desperate to shake off the horrible feeling of cold, Toothless blew fireballs in all directions, flying through their smoldering remains. This managed to effectively eliminate his numbness, but it would be a while before he could submerge again. So he would wait about three hours, dive for approximately three minutes, and then emerge from the water to warm himself for another three hours. This became quite routine, but he still had not found the helmet. Eventually, night fell, and given the feeling of being watched that plagued the dragon, he decided to stop diving in the darkness .

But he refused to return to Hiccup-not until he found the helmet, anyway. So he flew to a nearby sea-stack, hoping it would make a good place to settle down. Once he found a smooth spot on the rocks, he turned in a circle, spewing fire onto the ground to warm his chosen bed. He then plopped down on the blistering rocks, hoping that the ice could be burned from his veins. Even with the heat under him, he could not shake the constant cold. But exhaustion outweighed his discomfort, and he soon found himself nodding off.

In his fading consciousness, he thought of Hiccup-what he was doing, whether he was planning to train a new dragon, or how he was going to avoid tripping without Toothless there to help him.

He remembered what it was like to be completely alone-he remembered the fear, the discontent. Once he had found Hiccup, he had sworn that he would never go back. But he couldn't have imagined that the boy would feel differently-that _Hiccup_ would want to go back. And now...the separation was intolerable.

* * *

The next day, Toothless had an idea to increase his swimming time. He would bathe his own body with fire, thus heating his scales. Then, when he plunged his body into those icy waves, he could still be warm. The heat off of his skin would only buy him a few seconds of heat, but any earned time was worthwhile. There was also that pesky problem of a shot-limit, so he could only do this a few times an hour. But it was definitely an improvement.

As he swam, he could feel the cold water meeting with his hot scales, which produced a sizzling sound and steam on the surface. The warmth soon faded, though, and the cold penetrated him again. Heat couldn't last very long in this terrible place.

He let his eyes rake the ocean floor, desperate to find the accursed helmet. But he was greeted by no metallic glint-nothing that notified him of its presence.

Toothless's frustration was overwhelming. _Where could it be?_

But then he realized that it could be _anywhere_. With the currents, the helmet could be back on Berk's shores by now, so shouldn't he be searching there?

But that was a wistful, outlandish thought. He knew he was only peevish about his current struggles-that he was only eager to leave the waters that tortured him so. The helmet had to be here...or somewhere around here, anyway.

Suddenly, another fleeting shadow passed over Toothless in the water. He twirled around, creating small bubbles as he did so, and kept his eyes peeled for more movement. As he waited, he saw no other motion around him. The dragon couldn't stay underwater for much longer-his lungs were about to burst!

So he surfaced, taking great gasps of precious air. The oxygen was welcome and necessary, but he became immediately colder with his ascension. There was no wind beneath the water, but above? It battered and cut through his scales, worsening the feeling of frostbite that already plagued him.

He couldn't keep doing this. Dragons were not meant to survive in this sort of frigidity-well, not _his_ species of dragon anyway.

But then he thought back to Hiccup...his rider...his best friend-the person who _needed_ him to find this ridiculous helmet. How could he turn his back on the boy?

No, it wasn't whether he _could_ turn his back, because with the new tail, he definitely could. He could leave Berk behind and never return. The real problem was that he _wouldn't_ turn away. In his heart, he knew that he _needed_ to fly with Hiccup.

Taking another deep breath, Toothless descended again, immersing himself. He swam along the sand bar, once again on the look out for the helmet.

Suddenly, something large and fast cut through his path, its movements too swift for even his eyes to follow. Toothless jumped backwards with surprise, unaccustomed to seeing living things swimming around him. Before he knew it, it had disappeared somewhere. Whatever it was, it was stalking him-Toothless could see that now.

Every instinct in his body told him to run, to surface and fly away as far as he could. He was much more vulnerable under water-he could not use fireballs, or swim _that_ fast. And given the speed that he had seen, it was likely that this predator was particularly adroit at swimming.

Now wary of his surroundings, Toothless started backing up, keeping his eyes focused on the area in front of him. If it decided to attack, he would be ready this time.

Unexpectedly, he felt his back touch something behind him-something that definitely hadn't been there before. Its skin was scaly, and he could feel it vibrating deep inside-almost as if it were growling.

Panicked, Toothless spun around and flung himself away. He raised his eyes to the intruder. With the predator now stationary, he was finally able to get a good look at it.

Unfortunately, not all dragons migrate to the nesting grounds in the winter. Some are accustomed to cold environments, or mate during other times of year. The thing in front of him was most definitely one of those dragons. And not just any dragon...

He had backed into a Scauldron...and a pretty territorial one, at that.


	6. Chapter 6

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**

**A/N: Hooray! This part is long, and written way better than the last (in my opinion, at least). So that's good, right? I mean, don't freak out over typos or anything, because there usually is at least one.**

**Also, I foreshadow the events of HTTYD 2 a bit in this part. It's just something I decided to throw in.**

**Sorry, no big reuniting scene until the next part, so stay tuned! **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

The Scauldron was greenish-blue in appearance, the colors merging like paints on a canvas. It had a curved horn jutting out from its nose, with its point seeming dangerously sharp. On the other end of the dragon, an appendage more akin to a flipper than a tail extended from the Scauldron's behind, and it swung menacingly-a sure sign that the beast felt threatened and planned to attack. In between there was nothing but hulking stomach, stubby limbs, and elongated neck, which allowed it to move fluidly in the water.

Its most prominent feature was definitely its jaw, which had inflated like a giant sac. In fact, that was probably the case; Scauldrons were known for firing scalding hot water at their victims, and to do that, they would suck immense amounts of the substance into their stomachs. There, it would be heated to near-boiling levels, stored in their mouths, and then launched at enemies.

Toothless immediately tried to swim away. In this environment, he knew that a Scauldron would be a far superior combatant than he was. As if on cue, the beast fired an extremely hot and powerful blast of water in Toothless's direction. He managed to dodge it just in time.

It wasn't so much the heat of the water that was dangerous to other dragons, but the force in which it was launched. The strong impact could severely injure Toothless, and could thus impair his swimming ability. Since that could result in drowning, Toothless decided not to risk it.

He pushed himself toward the surface, hoping to get away from the Scauldron. Soon enough, he had burst out of the water, taking flight before he had even breathed. Soon enough, he was hovering over the waves, his wings flapping powerfully. The force made ripples in the water, even from a distance.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten that Scauldrons had wings too. It wasn't long before it had surged out of the waves, determined to kill the dragon that had encroached on its territory. Toothless could see that its jaw was still inflated, meaning that it planned to send scalding water his way.

For a moment, Toothless wanted nothing more than for Hiccup to be with him-Hiccup, who could tame a wild dragon such as this with a few comforting words and a hand gesture. But Toothless could not do such things.

He ducked, and the mighty jet of hot water narrowly missed him. That time, he had been very lucky-his body was still sluggish from his freezing swim, and one more millisecond of hesitation would have surely killed him.

But the Scauldron had made a mistake by leaving the water. Toothless was the fastest dragon in the world-in the air, _he_ was the superior combatant by far.

With a newly hatched plan, Toothless circled the Scauldron at lightning-fast speeds. He was nothing but a blur of darkness to the other dragon, and the Scauldron could do nothing but cower in the center of the vortex. Then, Toothless released his own arsenal-a steady stream of plasma-hot flame. Scauldrons never used external fires, and given their penchant for the water, his current adversary reacted aversely to the flame. Fire _vaporized_ water, after all, and these creatures loved the ocean far too much. It screeched and howled for him to stop.

Eventually, Toothless stopped circling the Scauldron, assuming that he had won. As he slowed down, the Scauldron gave him a long, aggressive roar-one that told him to stay out of its territory.

But when the Scauldron opened its mouth, Toothless could see an entire compartment of boiling water, filled to the brim. Seaweed floated around in the liquid, along with a few dead fish that probably hadn't migrated fast enough...but there was one more thing. Something with a metallic gleam and yak horns.

Hiccup's helmet-it was _in_ the Scauldron's mouth.

Before Toothless could react, it dove back into the ocean, quickly disappearing into the icy depths.

Things had just become _a lot_ more complicated.

* * *

Every time Toothless would dive back into the water, the Scauldron would be waiting for him, ready to attack. How could he possibly get the helmet from it? The Scauldron was so aggressive-so territorial-that Toothless had been unable to get closer than three feet before being so rudely attacked.

Once again, night came quickly, and as darkness fell, he decided to retreat to the sea stack. Indeed, his eyes were accustomed to the dark, but the ocean's depths made his exceptional vision useless. If the Scauldron planned to attack, it would be more apt to ambush him at night. Hoping to avoid giving it the chance, Toothless left quite quickly, happy to rest his tired wings and limbs. In fact, his landing on the sea-stack looked more like a collapse than a disembarkment.

Despite his tiredness, he could not fall asleep. He knew that the Scauldron could easily follow him and attack while he slept. So he kept his eyes wide open, ready to abandon his sea-stack at any moment. No assaults came, though. Now he was exhausted, frustrated, and _still_ a hunted animal. Obviously things were not going Toothless's way, of late.

He wished Hiccup was here. Hiccup would come up with an ingenious plan to get the helmet, or tame the stupid Scauldron. But Toothless was completely, hopelessly, and unbearably alone. He would have to find his own way to outsmart the Scauldron.

But he was a Night Fury-one of the most intelligent dragon breeds. There was no reason why he shouldn't succeed. All he had to do was think..._think, think, think_!

Toothless evaluated his options carefully. How could he get the Scauldron to open its mouth long enough for him to swoop down and scoop up the helmet? Maybe he could reason with it-tell it he was looking for something. That was something that he had not tried yet, mostly because of his pride. But he supposed it wasn't just pride-this particular Scauldron seemed irrational. Normally, its breed traveled in pods, but this one was rogue. There was something _wrong_ with it-something particularly vicious. In fact, it seemed perfectly willing to drain the _entire_ ocean to get a good shot at Toothless.

Alright, maybe that was an exaggeration. But it would certainly drain its entire supply of hot water to do that.

Including the water in its mouth.

Toothless suddenly had an epiphany: if he could get that Scauldron to spray at him continuously, then the helmet would eventually shoot out too, wouldn't it?

It was his best idea so far, so he supposed he would have to go with it, no matter how dangerous it would be. The last thing he really wanted was to draw the Scauldron's fire-or water, in this case. He had no other choice, though.

* * *

He wanted to catch the Scauldron off guard-it would be angrier if it thought it was being ambushed. So he waited until late afternoon the next day, hoping that it believed he had left. Of course, that was not the case. Toothless wasn't leaving-not without that helmet, at least.

Deciding enough time had passed, he dove into the icy waters. Toothless made sure to splash and flail as much as possible-otherwise, the Scauldron might not notice his presence. The cold was as paralyzing as always, like knives digging into his skin and tunneling through to his veins. However, anticipation of what he was about to do _slightly_ counteracted the sensation. His blood was filled with adrenaline alongside the ice, and that warmed him a bit.

Amidst his flailing, Toothless perceived the looming shadow again, circling him in the water. Its intense anger rolled off in palpable waves, even in the water. He pretended not to notice, though. No, the less the Scauldron knew, the better. He needed it to keep thinking that Toothless was actually a threat-and one that could be neutralized, at that.

So he stood still despite his persistent instincts, which demanded that he flee before the other dragon killed him. But Toothless also knew that instincts were often bad, so he ignored them.

Nonetheless, he stiffened his muscles, ready to surface at any time.

Finally having enough with the intrustion, the Scauldron stopped circling, and lunged toward his unwelcome guest.

That was bad-that was not what Toothless had expected. He had thought that the Scauldron would send a stream of water toward him instead of a bodily attack.

Luckily, Toothless had still been ready enough to rise out of the water, though, and he burst through to the surface. The Scauldron followed suit, using its own powerful wings to propel itself into the open air.

For a moment, Toothless and the Scauldron hovered over the water across from one another, staring at each other with intense hatred. Why couldn't the other dragon just give him the helmet? If anything, the headpiece would kill it during digestion. The Scauldron would probably thank him in the long run.

But all the Scauldron saw was an encroachment on his territory-and that, apparently, was inexcusable. No wonder his pod had left him, Toothless thought bitterly. This Scauldron was insane!

But the other dragon wasn't shooting his water streams. Perhaps he realized that-given their previous conflicts-Toothless avoided the sprays too easily, and more direct attack was necessary. That was even worse-the Scauldron was _learning_, which meant that it was intelligent. Whether it was more intelligent than a Night Fury, he doubted. But sometimes, even stupid things had brief moments of genius.

Toothless had no choice. He would have to get in close-make it feel so utterly threatened that it would use every defense it had. And in its desperation, he hoped it would slip up a lot.

So Toothless let out a humongous roar-one that clearly said "I'm going to kill you, and there's nothing you can do about it." He also threw a few fireballs near the Scauldron, hoping to frighten it enough to make it attack, but not enough to run. If it thought he had poor aim, perhaps it would believe it had a better chance of winning a fight.

That was the last straw. The Scauldron spewed a spray of water in Toothless's direction-and unlike Toothless, it did not try to miss. He barely ducked in time-he had to wildly throw his body to the side, which destabilized his flight. However, he managed to remain airborne with difficulty, eventually righting himself and snorting. The sound hopefully expressed a smug "Is that all you've got?"

A few purposely missed fireballs later, and the Scauldron had become a constant spout of water. It spewed the substance in all directions, trying to keep up with Toothless's swift, flying body. The full force of the stream never hit him-only the warmth, and that was more than welcome. His body was meant to handle more than hot water; it was meant to handle _fire_ itself. In fact, the residual spray was nothing but beneficial to him.

So he weaved easily between the jets, a smug expression on his face. He hoped that frustration would make the Scauldron determined. It wasn't about territory anymore. No, now Toothless had personally insulted this dragon, and revenge would be reaped.

The stream continued for a few more minutes, and the other dragon's mouth gradually deflated. Soon, it was almost normal size. Just a little while longer now…

Unexpectedly, the gushing stopped abruptly and the Scauldron hovered in place, looking confused.

The change of events distracted Toothless. Why had it ceased firing? Was it out of water? And if so, where was the helmet?

Toothless slowed his flight, looking down at the ocean in case the helmet had fallen downwards with the burning spray. But that was his mistake.

The Scauldron sent a final, full-powered jet of water his way, right into his torso. But it wasn't just water that had hit him-something hard and pointy struck his chest. With the shock of the blow, Toothless couldn't help but fall from the air, and he tumbled into the freezing ocean waters again.

The other dragon had effectively tricked him into thinking that the attack was over, when really, he still had just enough water to take Toothless out. Even he could admit that it had been clever.

Paralyzed by pain, Toothless floated underwater for a while, letting the frigidity numb his aches. But something was quickly floating down beside him-something metallic and horned. It swayed and spin as it fell, completely at the mercy of the ocean and the metal's density.

The helmet!

The joy of its rediscovery shook Toothless out of his agonized stupor, and he dove down to retrieve it. Finally, he had found it! Now, he could return to Hiccup, and everything would be all ri-

Something pulled his leg back, biting into it with sharp teeth. With the grip, his whole body was flung rearward, and he didn't have to wonder who had committed the crime-it was the Scauldron. He still wasn't done with Toothless, intending to finish the hunt.

But Toothless's eyes were still focused on that precious helmet, which continued to get farther and farther away, rolling off of the sandbar. Soon, it would fall too far away for Toothless to retrieve, and all hope would be lost. He was not prepared to let it go-let Hiccup go! And this stupid Scauldron-it was to blame for all his troubles.

Overwhelmed with anger and fear, Toothless whipped around, pulling his leg out of the other dragon's jaws. As he looked upon the irrationally violent creature, he felt a ferocious roar exploding through his lungs-its sound so loud and so powerful that it was even deafening _under_ the water. He didn't care that it wasted the little air he had, or that the Scauldron had a right to be angry. All that mattered was the helmet-was Hiccup, and _nothing_ was going to stop him from returning to them.

Terrified by that forceful, commanding roar, the Scauldron retreated in the water, moaning like a kicked puppy. It swam away from him, leaving him stunned. Toothless couldn't believe that the Scauldron had actually listened to him. He wasn't a queen or an alpha, so why had it left? Toothless couldn't have been _that_ commanding...could he?

Whatever the case, Toothless had a more pressing issue-the helmet. A few more seconds, and it would be lost forever.

He frantically dove after it, trying to catch up to its descending shape. His lungs were about to burst from a lack of oxygen, but he kept going anyway, swimming head-first. He simply refused to lose that helmet. He had been through too much for it.

Just as it was about to roll off of the sandbar into a sudden abyss, Toothless managed to catch it with his teeth. He quickly encompassed the helmet-ugh, it tasted like Scauldron venom, which wasn't deadly, but sure tasted bad-with his mouth.

He had done it! He had retrieved the helmet!

Eager to return to Berk, Toothless shot to the surface, flying recklessly with the helmet in his mouth. As he flew across the purplish sky-thus indicating the approaching night-he could not help but fly a bit intemperately, almost like a drunkard. He was just...too happy. In a few minutes, he would be with his rider again-back with Hiccup...his best friend, his brother, and his home. This truly was a sort of holiday.


	7. Chapter 7

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING AND SHALL CONTINUE TO OWN NOTHING**

**A/N: YAY YAY YAY REUNITING SCENE FINALLY.**

**I love this scene. I really really love this scene. I feel like I didn't do it justice. **

**One more chapter after this! **

**(Once again, this is not intended to be slash. But you can see it however you like) **

* * *

When Toothless returned to Berk, the village was eerily empty. All the houses were abandoned, and upon checking Hiccup's, he realized that his rider was missing too. He also made a few other startling observations-such as the smoldering remains of a few badly burnt buildings. Debris from the homes' interiors were dispersed everywhere, like something had burst forth from within the walls. Even the artificial tree had been thoroughly incinerated (though Toothless thought that was fitting, considering it wasn't a real tree in the first place). Most of the decorations that the Vikings had wasted time setting up were demolished and scorched. At the sight, he wondered what had caused such fiery destruction, especially with the other dragons still at the nesting grounds...

Whatever the case, he had more pressing matters. He needed to find Hiccup.

Toothless lifted his nose into the blackened sky, shifting the metal helmet clasped within his jaws, and ignored the redolent smoke to locate the Vikings. Their scent was coming from nearby, thus indicating that they were still somewhere on Berk. Though the heavy winter winds had somewhat obstructed his impeccable hearing, he could also identify that their usual hollerings were coming from a specific source-the Great Hall. For some reason, they were all gathered there again; but there weren't _just_ Vikings. No, Toothless could smell dragons too...but how? His kin was still at the nesting grounds, weren't they? And yet...here they were. Perhaps their little vacation had been cut short.

He began sauntering toward the Great Hall, eager to return to his rider despite his aching body. He had been searching for that helmet for days, braving freezing water and hostile dragons as he did so. In his opinion, he had earned the right to be sore.

He only hoped that he had earned the right to fly with Hiccup again.

As he approached the Hall, walking over the frozen ground toward the center of the village, the din of the Vikings' merrymaking became almost deafening. The sounds of intermittent dragon roars certainly didn't help, either. He wondered why there was so much commotion.

Toothless nosed his way through the building's doors, peeking his head through the gap in the wooden slabs. Upon entering, he was immediately greeted by the sight of hundreds of dragons and Vikings, apparently celebrating with one another. The humans and his kin seemed very happy to reunited in the heavily decorated, warm environment of the Great Hall. Somehow, the sight of the two species acting so affectionate toward one another was still a bit disorienting-welcome, but disorienting. Everything about the scene, from the baby dragons to the warm lights, whispered "comfort." It was so peaceful that even Toothless was glad that the building's ridiculous decor had remained unscathed, unlike the wreckage outside.

He pushed further into the Hall, scrutinizing the crowd for Hiccup's thin form. The hundreds of intermingled smells prevented him from pinpointing the boy's location, and amid the multitude of moving bodies, his sight was unreliable. How was he supposed to find Hiccup in such a crowded place?

Finally, he spotted his rider. His back was turned to the doors, held tightly in Astrid's arms. Toothless made brief eye contact with her, but he did not move forward. What if Hiccup still didn't want to ride with him? Would he even welcome Toothless back? Was Toothless willing to find out the truth, no matter how painful?

His feet were not being cooperative, and they wouldn't proceed toward his rider. This was the moment where he could lose or gain back his entire world...was he ready for it?

After Astrid conversed with an apparently annoyed Hiccup, she suddenly pushed the boy toward him. The force spun Hiccup around, and they finally saw each other face to face.

"Toothless! Hey bud," Hiccup exclaimed with excitement, bounding over to the dragon. Toothless met him at the center of the hall, snorting with equal excitement and struggling to keep the helmet in his jaws with all the movement.

So Hiccup was relieved to see him- he was welcomed home, after all. Because that's what Berk was...what Hiccup was. To Toothless, they were _home_.

Dragon and rider skidded to a stop, inches in front of one another. They stared at each other for a moment, allowing their eyes to drink in the sight of their long-estranged and beloved companion. It was a few seconds before they did much else, and Toothless was especially reluctant to move before the boy did. Was Hiccup looking for the helmet, expectant of its return? Should he give him that first?

Then, Hiccup threw his arms around Toothless's neck, squeezing him tightly. The dragon stiffened with surprise-he had been petted by Hiccup before, and he had allowed him to ride on his back, but this? Something like this had never happened before. What did humans even call this? A "hug"?

Whatever the case, the embrace was warm, filled with relief and affection. Everything about Hiccup was soothing-everything from his smell to his small form. Toothless had seen humans make such a gesture before, between one another, and sometimes with their dragons, but despite the bond they had, Hiccup had never used it before. It was now one of the few, unique human mannerisms that Toothless enjoyed.

During the hug, Toothless realized that he had been wrong. Everything about the embrace betrayed extreme worry that had only been pacified by the dragon's return. Hiccup couldn't have been mad or punishing toward him-not if he was _this_ overjoyed at Toothless's return.

Perhaps the new tail was not meant to separate them, but to increase their bond. Maybe Hiccup was had just been generous-giving him a gift to restore what had once been lost to him. And Toothless's pursuit of the helmet...it was practically the same thing. The friends had both gone to insane lengths to ensure the other's happiness. And Toothless had been incredibly stupid to misinterpret Hiccup's emotions so completely.

Gratitude burned at the pit of the dragon's stomach upon realizing that the new tail-the tail that allowed him to be independent and come and go as he pleased-was perhaps the greatest physical gift that he had ever received. Even though Hiccup hadn't realized that Toothless's greatest joy was flying _with_ his human rider, the device's creation was impossibly touching all the same.

Hiccup released him, his voice chastising as he wagged his finger sternly. "Bad dragon, very bad dragon!" Toothless followed the movement of the finger with interest, never having been addressed in such a manner-except maybe by Stoick.

"You scared me to death! Don't ever stay away that long again, and...what is in your mouth?" Hiccup continued quickly, staring at his maw with confusion.

Remembering that he still had the helmet, Toothless understood why he probably appeared so strange. The horns of the helmet were protruding from between his gums, and he could only imagine what they looked like.

The burst of gratitude still fresh, Toothless couldn't wait any longer to return the favor. He dropped the helmet on his rider's head, hoping that Hiccup wouldn't mind the coating of saliva that quickly coated the boy's fair skin and auburn hair. He grew even more worried when the other Vikings made loud, disgusted noises and wrinkled their noses. But Toothless knew Hiccup to be a bit more easygoing than the others.

The boy wiped the spit out of his eyes, sounding a teeny bit grossed out, but not mad. "Yeah...you found my helmet," he groaned before the realization actually hit him, his eyes widening with surprised delight. "Hey! You found my helmet! That's where you've been?"

Toothless began nuzzling his rider affectionately, trying to express how happy he was to not only be home, but to make Hiccup so cheerful. The boy placed his hands under Toothless's chin to stop the constant prodding, which allowed him to look into the dragon's eyes.

"Buddy, thank you," Hiccup said. "You are amazing…"

Hiccup's arms were soon around him again, hugging him tightly, and Toothless purred with contentment. Several seconds passed before he was released, but that was fine with him. It was just good knowing that he was _wanted_ again.

"Happy Snoggletog!" Toothless heard Astrid yell, and the crowd erupted into cheers before the festivities continued. But throughout it all, Toothless and Hiccup never left each other's sides. From now on, they would face everything together, even if the moment brought joy or loss.

Luckily, the current moments only brought the former.


	8. Chapter 8

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING AND HAVE OWNED NOTHING THROUGHOUT**

**A/N: Final chapter, guys! It's the longest one, which is good. I'm not quite sure what I'll do after this. I had some great ideas for this super-complicated amnesia!Hiccup fic, but I just can't find the motivation to write it. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the story, and thanks again for all the follows, reviews, and favorites. For those of you who have never read my writing before and enjoyed this, please check out No Longer Alone! It's the same style, but for the entire first movie.**

**I can't do a Toothless PoV of HTTYD 2 until it comes out on DVD. Sorry guys! You'll just have to wait.**

**Thanks again for reading! The ending isn't as philosophical as I wanted it to be, but I used so much of that stuff in other parts of the chapter that I didn't want to repeat myself too much. **

* * *

Toothless could not recall the exact time he had returned to the Haddock hut, but he knew it must have been very late. The "Snoggletog" celebrations had lasted past midnight, and Vikings were not exactly "peaceful" partiers. An almost ridiculous amount of games, annoying ruckus, and intoxicated behavior had ensued. And unlike the rest of Berk, Toothless and his rider weren't inclined to participate in such things. Hiccup only tolerated them for his tribe and his father, and Toothless only tolerated them for Hiccup.

Once the festivities had ended, both friends had collapsed on their respective beds in exhaustion, and for once, Toothless actually did not feel confined in the wooden box that humans called a "home". As strange as it sounded, sleeping was easier with Hiccup nearby. It didn't make sense, especially since the new tail had technically made a rider unnecessary, but he supposed that the world seemed a lot kinder when Hiccup was around him. And a kinder world was less likely to cause a fitful slumber.

Toothless had been so tired that he might have slept until noon, which was probably what Hiccup was planning to do. But the morning had other plans.

When dawn came about, the light was too bright and persistent as it slanted through the room's window, and Toothless cracked open his eyelids. He noticed that this light was different from what he had grown accustomed to-which was more like a bleak, grayish glow. But this light...it was so pure and radiant.

He quietly lifted his leaden head, considerate of Hiccup's dreaming state. He never woke his rider until he was sure that there were good flying conditions.

So Toothless scrutinized the nearby window, and was greeted by a sight he had greatly missed-the sun. The gloomy grayness of winter had been wiped away, and now only creamy clouds sprawled across the cerulean sky. It was indescribably bright outside, especially given the intense sunlight reflecting off the snow-covered ground and roofs. He resisted the urge to squint.

Soon enough, Toothless's feet were moving without his permission, thus launching him out the window and into the outside world.

Exuberant over the glorious weather, Toothless began jumping excitedly, flinging snow everywhere.

The sun! He couldn't believe it! Indeed, icy wind was still abundant, but the air was noticeably warmer, which was a welcome change for a cold-blooded dragon. After weeks of blizzards and dreary skies, it seemed the world had regained its sanity and beauty-and what better way was there to enjoy the perfect climate than flying?

He was about to go fetch Hiccup so that they could take off, but he soon realized that he didn't _need_ to fly with a human anymore. If he wanted to, he could let Hiccup sleep on, and go flying on his own. Wasn't that what the other dragons did? They _carried_ their Vikings

After considering his options, Toothless came to a new resolution. He then headed into the town and raided Gobber's smithy for some very specific, if outdated, tools.

* * *

It seemed obnoxious to break the shingles that Stoick had tediously mended in Toothless's absence, and the dragon took pride in his own lack of cruelty. Of course, that didn't stop him from ruining them, though. Toothless believed that there was a very thick line between cruelty and obnoxiousness, and the latter was his specialty. The roof had tons of shingles anyway, so a few broken ones wouldn't hurt anyone.

He felt no remorse as he pounded against the roof, attempting to wake his rider in his routine manner. However, he did not stay up there for long (probably much to Stoick's delight). As soon as he heard Hiccup coming outside, Toothless scampered to the ground. He then rested expectantly behind the objects that he had...delicately...ripped through the forge for. Most of the smithy was still intact, though. The floor was just a teeny bit obscured under the heaping piles of metalwork that Toothless had displaced.

Hiccup was dawdling again, and the dragon gave an impatient roar that urged him to hurry up.

"I'm comin', Toothless!" the boy yelled back as he bounded toward the dragon, who was once again at the house's side. "Alright, bud, come on down. I was just-"

Hiccup then noticed a few things resting at Toothless's feet-things that he had probably expected to forget about, but the dragon had not.

The saddle and the red tail prosthetic contrasted greatly with the snow, which was why Hiccup was able to notice them so quickly. He looked at them with extreme confusion before beginning to approach Toothless, his path obstructed by the saddle.

"Toothless, what'd you pull this out for? You don't need this anymore," he said, pushing the saddle aside with his leg prosthetic, and then trying to climb onto Toothless's back. "C'mon. Let's get going."

But the dragon moved away from him, sitting determinedly behind the saddle again. Every time that Hiccup avoided the old devices and tried to ride him again, Toothless would simply place himself a little ways off, the abandoned saddle and red tail-fin acting as a wall between them. He needed to get a very specific message across to Hiccup.

But Hiccup just remained confused, looking at him with bafflement. He just couldn't understand why the dragon was so attached to the old flying tools. But to Toothless, it wasn't about childish attachment, or tradition-no, this was about something much more important. And if he had to go to extreme measures to express that, then so be it.

Toothless raised his tail, turning to get a good look at the new prosthetic. As he extended both tail-fins, he had to admire Hiccup's flawless craftsmanship. The leather was so smooth, and the metal of the gears gleamed in the sunlight. How Hiccup had designed it, Toothless could not begin to imagine.

And now...now he was planning to destroy it.

The device was-without a doubt-brilliant, and pride for his rider coursed through the dragon's veins. The boy was a genius. Even a dragon as arrogant as Toothless could admit that his mind was quite dull in comparison to Hiccup's...so did he have a right to obliterate this potentially revolutionary device?

But that wasn't all. A part of Toothless _liked_ the new tail. For safety purposes, independent flight seemed like a much-needed ability, and that made him even more reluctant to wreck it. His instincts constantly whispered that the new tail was required, at least from a survival standpoint.

Hiccup even _wanted_ him to have it. The prosthetic had been his gift to Toothless, and he would probably be insulted if it were destroyed. And all that hard work and ingenuity would be rendered useless simply because…because...

Because Toothless just couldn't live with it!

Every ounce of his being screamed that the new tail-fin was plain _wrong_, even if no one else could see it. And it wasn't its weight, or that it was new, or anything of the sort. The problem was the very fact that he could fly alone, which didn't make any sense! He should want to regain his solo flight, but for some strange reason, the idea was nearly unbearable to him now.

He had seen the other riders-or at least, that was what they called themselves. The Viking word "rider" had a different meaning to Toothless, and in his opinion, no one but Hiccup fit the description.

Take Astrid and Stormfly, for example. The way he saw it, Astrid was Stormfly's _cargo-_-an (albeit beloved) object that is hauled from place to place. She rode _on_ her dragon, but she did not ride _with_ her. They had no real need for one another; their relationship was just a convenience, a mere friendship. If Astrid perished, surely Stormfly would mourn, but her life would continue unimpeded. The same went for every dragon and human on Berk. They were just...objects to one another, even if they loved each other.

But riding with Hiccup was different. Toothless _wanted_ to _need_ Hiccup. If Hiccup fell out of the sky, then he would want to fall too, because being without his rider was the worst possible thing he could imagine.

Toothless remembered being alone all too well, and he had promised himself long ago that he would never go back. He loved the fact that Hiccup needed him, and that he needed Hiccup. It made him feel like he belonged, like he had a purpose. They were meant to be each other's crutches-part of one another. And this tail...this _stupid_, _stupid_ tail ruined that.

Losing his flight had created a hole in him-a hole that Hiccup had filled. And now that he had gained it back, it was like Hiccup had been pushed out again. The two things could not occupy the same space, and the new tail-fin had thus disrupted the balance between them. Before, Toothless could not fly without Hiccup and Hiccup could not fly without Toothless. That was the point-every moment of joy was meant to be shared between them. If Toothless could fly alone, it just wasn't fair!

Everything about their relationship was based on equality, from their missing body parts to their love of flying. They shared the same soul, two halves in different bodies, so how was Toothless expected to sever his soul from its counterpart? What could he possibly want out there that shouldn't be shared with Hiccup?

Simple-there was nothing he didn't want to share with him, whether it be happiness, anger, fear, or death. They should face every danger-every adventure-together, not because they could, but because they _needed _to. If he lost his rider, he would lose himself. After all, the boy had given him his name, his home, and countless aspects of his personality. Without Hiccup, Toothless was just a shadow of...something else. Something that just wasn't _Toothless_.

And what could he even do on his own? Practice stunts that no one else found thrilling or interesting? Fly to new places and be just as lonely there? What was the point?

Every second of his encounter with the Scauldron had been filled with yearning for his rider's company. Freedom was useless without someone to be free _with_.

They needed to be halves of a whole, not ¼ plus ¾. It wasn't fair for Toothless to have a greater right to the sky than Hiccup. Sure, the boy was human, but he had the soul of a dragon, and he needed flight as much as Toothless did.

Besides, Toothless didn't want any more of his own strengths; he only wanted more of Hiccup's. There was no way to describe how...at ease...he had felt as he glided with Hiccup on his back, acting as his brain and navigating for him. That-and only that-was what it meant to be dragon and rider. It was the feeling of being...one.

So with a pointed glance at Hiccup, Toothless began smashing his tail against the frozen ground, feeling the new tail prosthetic shattering under the force. Eventually, the clasps weakened enough for him to fling it away.

He could hear Hiccup protesting, but he didn't care. The device was a curse-it ruined something sacred...something that was meant to be _broken_.

Toothless knew that not every problem should be fixed. Their injuries defined them...had changed them for the better. After all, if the dragon had never lost his flight, he would have never bonded with Hiccup. And if Hiccup hadn't lost his leg, than the boy would have died in their battle with the Red Death. The disabilities were not sacrifices-they evidenced their story of undying friendship, and he was not prepared to give them up.

With the accursed tail-fin now far away, Toothless used his teeth to pull the saddle toward himself. A part of him felt guilty for destroying such a beautiful invention, and the dragon's expression betrayed those emotions. His eyes were downcast, and he crooned softly, apparently asking for forgiveness and understanding. There was careful reasoning behind his actions, and he hoped that his best friend could see that.

Hiccup stared at him with pure incredulity, his eyes wide. Thinking that the boy was still not getting the message, Toothless nudged the saddle in Hiccup's direction, snorting as he did so.

It took a few seconds, but his rider finally cracked a smile. Somehow, Hiccup had perfectly expressed that he knew what Toothless was thinking, even without words. It seemed that they were finally on the same page again...as they should be.

* * *

In no time at all, the old prosthetic and saddle were securely attached, and the two friends were high in the air, flying just like they used to.

With his wings outstretched widely, Toothless noticed how different it was to fly with Hiccup. Perhaps it did not feel as natural as flying solo, but it certainly felt more...right.

The frigidity of the air was lost in the exhilaration of flying-of flying together. It was a sensation that could not be totally described-at least not well enough to do it complete justice. How could anyone possibly understand what it felt like to be two people-two species-at once, while ultimately being a single entity? It made no sense...it was illogical. And yet...here they were…

Suddenly, Toothless felt Hiccup shift his weight, and he realized that the boy was once again unlatching his tether from the harness.

"Alright, bud. You ready?" he asked. There was no explanation about what he planned to do, because he did not need to give one. Recent misunderstandings aside-misunderstandings caused by ridiculous paranoia that had since been proven wrong-Toothless knew his rider all too well. He knew that if he helped Hiccup accomplish a stunt (which he had recently done), the boy would move onto an even more dangerous one without a second thought. And with no sea stacks in sight, and their current high altitude, Toothless knew that Hiccup's next trick would be nothing if not overly ambitious.

Hiccup was planning a solo drop from the sky. What could Toothless possibly expect from a boy that was probably meant to be a dragon?

And as a dragon with near human intelligence and protectiveness, Toothless was still reluctant to aid Hiccup in his endeavors. But at this point, after everything that had happened recently, the dragon was not about to rob his rider of a single moment of joy-not if they could share it together.

Hiccup pulled his prosthetic out of the saddle's pedal and crouched on Toothless's back. Then, he leapt off the dragon, flipping through the air and whooping as he did so.

Fear pumped through Toothless's veins as he saw Hiccup falling headfirst toward the ground, but a large part of his consciousness recognized that the fear was electrifying-invigorating. So he closed his own wings, dropping after his rider, and soon they were falling side by side. Toothless had once decided to follow Hiccup anywhere, even if they were plummeting to the ground. And that resolution had not changed, and would never change.

Even though they were no longer flying together, Toothless still felt like he was one with his rider as they fell. A strange synchronization had overcome their bodies-they faced the ground simultaneously, eyes closed and blood vessels spiked with adrenaline, before opening their eyes and facing each other with equal concurrence. How they were able to sync their motions in such a way, Toothless would never truly know. But perhaps that was the magic of it.

Breaking the synchronization, the dragon gave his best impression of a smile, thus showing gummy jaws and crooning softly. He then began nudging Hiccup playfully mid-fall, spinning the boy around in a circle.

It wasn't long before they were falling peacefully again, allowing their eyes to close and faces to be whipped by the strong wing. Then, without spoken words, they angled themselves to be a riding pair again-with Hiccup securely on Toothless's back.

Once the tail-fin was extended again, the dragon forced his wings to extend, and they caught the air to stop their fall. Hiccup howled with excitement as Toothless zipped past white pine trees, the force of his wings spraying the snow off of the arboreal landscape.

Why the Vikings hadn't used _those_ trees for Snoggletog, Toothless would never understand either.


End file.
